the atmosphere and environment Flashcards

1
Q

what percentage of air is oxygen and what is its liquefying temperature?

A

21%, -183 degree celsius

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2
Q

what percentage of air is nitrogen and what it is its liguefying temperature?

A

78%, -196 degree celsius

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3
Q

what percentage of air is carbon dioxide and what is its freezing point?

A

0.03%, -79 degree celsius

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4
Q

what is oxygen used for?

A

supports combustion, supports all living things

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5
Q

what is nitrogen used for?

A

used in the manufacture of ammonia, used by plants to produce plant proteins which are consumed by animals, used as a refigerant

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6
Q

where does carbon monoxide come from?

A

incomplete combustion of carbon-containing fuels in motor vehicles and industries

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7
Q

what harmful effects does carbon monoxide cause?

A

combines irreversibly with haemoglobin in blood to form carboxyhaemoglobin which prevents the transport of oxygen to body cells

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8
Q

what makes carbon monoxide so dangerous?

A

it is colourless and odurless

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9
Q

how do you prevent inhalation of carbon monoxide?

A

use catalytic converters fitted to motor vehicles to oxidise CO into harmless CO2

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10
Q

how is sulfur dioxide formed?

A

combustion of fossil fuels which contain sulfur impurities in power stations and factories or in volcanic eruptions

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11
Q

what can sulfur dioxide do to humans?

A

irritates eyes, lungs and breathing passages

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12
Q

what can sulfur dioxide do to the environment?

A

it can react with oxygen and dissolves in rainwater to form acid rain which corrodes limestone buildings and destroys aquatic life

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13
Q

how can sulfur dioxide be prevented from being released into the atmosphere?

A

through desulfurisation where SO2 from waste or flue gases produced by coal or oil burning power station

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14
Q

what are the three equations that show how desulfurisaton is conducted?

A
  • CaCO3 (s) + SO2 (g) -> CaSO3 (s)
    + CO2 (g)
  • CaO (s) + SO2 (g) -> CaSO3 (s)
  • CaSO3 (s) + 2 H2o (L) + 1/2 O2 (G) -> CaSO4. 2H2O
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15
Q

how are oxides of nitrogen produced?

A

nitrogen and oxygen in the air combined at high temperatures inside vehicle combustion engines as well as power plants and factories or in lightning

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16
Q

what does NO2 do to humans?

A

when inhaled, it irritates the eyes, lungs and breathing passages

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17
Q

what does NO2 do to the environment?

A

oxides of nitrogen reacts with oxygen and dissolves in rainwater to form acid rain, which corrodes l;limestone buildings and destroys aquatic life and plants + formation of photochemical smog

18
Q

how can oxides of nitrogen be reduced?

A

catalytic converters fitted to motor vehicles to reduce NO into harmless nitrogen

19
Q

how is ozone produced?

A

chemical reactions between oxides of nitrogen and unburnt hydrocarbons in the presence of sunlight or formed form photochemical reaction between oxygen molecules and oxygen atoms in the lower atmosphere layer

20
Q

what are the harmful effects of ozone on humans?

A

chest pain, shortness of breath and throat irritation

21
Q

what are the harmful effects of ozone on the environment?

A

ozone with other pollutants form the photochemical smog

22
Q

how are unburnt hydrocarbons/methane produced?

A

incomplete combustion of carbon-containing fuels in vehicle engines / decomposition of plant and animal matter

23
Q

what are the harmful effects of unburnt hydrocarbons and methane on the environment?

A

can form photochemical smog/methane is a greenhouse gas and excessive amounts of it can lead to global warming

24
Q

how can we prevent the formation of unburnt hydrcarbons/methane?

A

using a catalytic converter to remove air pollutants in vehicle exhaust gases by converting harmful gases into less harmful gases

25
Q

what are catalytic converters made for?

A

they are meant to be fitted to convert unburnt hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide, nitrogen monoxide to less harmful carbon dioxide and water vapour

26
Q

what are the catalysts in a catalytic converter?

A

platinum, palladium, rubidium

27
Q

what kind of vehicles need catalytic converters?

A

they require unleaded fuel

28
Q

what are the reactions in a catalytic converter?

A
  • 2CO (g) + 2NO (g) -> N2 (g) + 2CO2 (g)
  • 2CO (g) + O2 (g) -> 2cO2 (g)
  • 2C8H18 (l) + 25O2 (g) -> 16CO2 + 18H2O (l)
29
Q

what is the process of a catalytic converter?

A

nitrogen oxides react with carbon monoxide to form carbon dioxide, and nitrogen and the carbon monoxide is oxidised to carbon dioxide and nitrogen monoxide is reduced to form nitrogen and more air is introduced to oxidise excess carbon monoxide and unburnt hydrocarbons to carbon dioxide and water vapour

30
Q

what are the three processes that introduce carbon dioxide into the environment?

A

respiration, decomposition, combustion, volcanic action

31
Q

what is respiration?

A

plants and animals undergo respiration to produce carbon dioxide, water and energy that is required for movement, growth and reproduction

31
Q

what is respiration?

A

plants and animals undergo respiration to produce carbon dioxide, water and energy that is required for movement, growth and reproduction

32
Q

what is the chemical formula for respiration?

A

C6H12O6 (aq) + 6O2 (G) -> 6CO2 (g) + 6H20 (l) + energy

33
Q

what is the chemical formula of combustion?

A

CH4 (g) + 2O2 (g) -> CO2 (g) + 2H2O (g)

34
Q

what are the processes that remove carbon dioxide from the environment?

A

photosynthesis, formation of fossil fuels

35
Q

what is the ozone layer?

A

contains O3 and protects life on earth by absorbing strong ultraviolet radiation that comes from the Sun

36
Q

what are chlorofluorocarbons?

A

molecules that are made up of chlorine, fluorine and carbon which damage the ozone layer due to the chlorine element

37
Q

what are the effects of ozone depletion?

A

ocer exposure to ultraviolet radiation, which can then increase the risk of getting ksin cancer, genetic mutation, eye diseases, cataracts

38
Q

what is the greenhouse effect?

A

warming of the Earth’s surface with heart from the Sun trapped in the atmosphere by greenhouse gases

39
Q

what is global warming?

A

increase of Earth’s average surface temperature due to excessive effect of greenhouse gases

40
Q

what are the effects of global warming?

A

melting of icebergs + drastic changes in global climate